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03 November 2011

Minister Gets Spooked in Corkagh Park

Local T.D. and Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Frances Fitzgerald, joined the thousands of people who converged on Corkagh Park on Saturday night in the name of good natured spooky fun.

South Dublin County Council organised the hugely successful ‘Spooky Walk’ in Corkagh Park to mark Halloween and offer a positive community event for local families. The event which took place on Saturday evening as dusk fell over the park, was a massive success and parents and children queued right around the park to enter the haunted forest.

“I was absolutely delighted to visit the Spooky Walk in Corkagh Park this Halloween bank holiday weekend. Children of all ages donned fantastic costumes and headed to Corkagh Park for the Council’s hugely successful ‘Spooky Walk’. It is a fabulous initiative which provided free entertainment and for families and an unforgettable event for children throughout Clondalkin, Lucan, Palmerstown, Newcastle and Rathcoole,” explained Minister Frances Fitzgerald.

“The Spooky trail weaves its way through a forested section of the Park and atmospheric music and lighting set the backdrop of the haunted wood. Council staff and volunteers were joined by young people from Clondalkin and Tallaght youth drama projects who were given the task of scaring the adults and children alike,” continued Fitzgerald.

“I am not embarrassed to admit that I was unnerved by a few of the children who leapt out of coffins and jumped up from shallow graves in the ground as I passed through the walk.

“It was a fantastic event and I know it was not an easy one to put together but the Council’s Parks and Recreation staff, and in particular the Recreational Officers, Alison Silke and Paula Swayne, did a phenomenal job of making this event a huge success.

“The massive attendance at this event and previous ones in Corkagh Park, highlight the demand for play and recreational events here locally. Last week I was delighted to announce the establishment of National Recreation Week 2011 which will run from Friday 28th Oct to Thursday November 3rd.

“The purpose of the National Recreation Week 2011 is to highlight the importance of recreation for young people and to encourage an inter-agency approach to achieving some of the main goals of the National Recreation Policy for Young People which aims to promote recreational opportunities for young people between the ages of 12 and